To think this is why people buy all brand new clothes for holidays?

[Kittythepink]

We are going on a family holiday to the seaside tomorrow. I am so stressed under mountains of clothes to wash, iron and pack for five people.

AIBU to think this is why so many people go holiday shopping for brand new clothes? Put them straight into the suitcase what a brilliant idea!

Seriously though, does anyone buy all brand new clothes for going away? I used to know someone who bought all brand new underwear and socks for each holiday, so maybe it's a thing?

“Then try to incorporate it into our ‘normal’ clothes when we return. Most of the kids will end up as pyjamas......”

I’m currently wearing pyjama bottoms and a top I bought before my last holiday, lol

Sorry about the typos.

How are there "30 degree London garden outfits" that cannot also be "35 degree villa in the Med outfits"?

You have a very narrow view of what countries people may be visiting on holiday.

Yes my family always bought us new clothes for holiday and we do the same.

We normally go away mid July as school breaks up early so they get new clothes which will then see them through the summer

DW does this every year, whether going on holiday or not. Causes no end of rows between us, especially when only worn once, then gives them away, with some not even worn.
Puts blame on others, usually me, then says she has too many clothes, gets rid of them, and the cycle starts again, every year.
Cannot go out, or visiting anywhere without having to buy something.

@Ponoka7

Also when I'm in places across Africa, the cleaning staff always appreciate being offered any clothes we've decided not to take home, especially children's clothes/sunglasses. I agree that they definitely shouldn't be left with our rubbish to dispose of.

I can’t work out if you’re joking or you really are massively condescending

@BritWifeinUSA

Even if you buy all new things, surely you wash them first? They’ve been handled by so many people from production to being sold to you, people have tried them on, maybe they’ve even been returned, dropped on the shop floor. Considering people need to be told to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing I dread to think what ends up all over clothes in shops.

I only shop online so perhaps a few people have briefly tried the clothes on before me. So what? Any virus will have died before I wear them. If garments were obviously in need of washing I would return them anyway—yuck.

Washing clean and new clothes seems a waste of resources. And somehow makes the clothes seem immediately ‘not new’.

A tip for those who like non creased clothes after packing but don't want to iron on holiday - hang in bathroom after steamy bath / shower as many creases drop out. (May have to take own hangers though as lots of hotel hangers fixed to wardrobe).

@meltedintheheat I really don't.
I wear clothes on safari and to visit conservative developing country villages that I'd wear in the NW UK either at home or in the office.
I wear the same shorts on a tropical beach and in the back garden.
I wear my ski jacket in UK snow, and my thermal leggings up an Alp or a Lake District mountain.

I don't understand why it's incomprehensible to you that I might have some clothes specifically for when I visit family abroad that I wouldn't wear in London.
Especially if you live in London, it just seems like a waste of storage space.

@drspouse then why did you reference the med? my best friend has an entirely different wardrobe for when she visits her muslim home country.

I still don't understand why you think because you do something others don't do it differently.

How many clothes do you think I have that it's a waste of storage space? How do you know what size house I have? How do you even know where I store them?

Looks like OP's not coming back, but if one of those 5 people is her partner, why can't they help? Or at least wash and pack their own shit.

Question for the new underwear buyers. Do you also buy underwear for kids Christmas Stockings?
If you don't what do you pad the stocking out with?

Be fucked if im washing rubbish

No, leave that to the lesser beings who have to sort through it, right?

@Smallsteps88 agree, I hate putting greasy smelly stuff in recycling. Not pleasant fpr the people sorting it.

where do you think second hand clothing comes from? The Charity shops rely on people who want new clothes, or impulse/over buy and are willing to donate them. A lot of them will be the people who buy new for holidays or don't like wearing the same going out-out clothes.

Not sure how you don’t understand this. Buying from a charity shop means you aren’t buying new from a shop. Which means you aren’t creating a demand for a whole new item of clothing, you are using one for second time that would otherwise be languishing in a wardrobe or vac pac bag. Most charity shops locally are refusing donations of clothes (prior to covid) because they have far too many. Charity shops really aren’t reliant on mrsjoebloggs kitting the whole family out for a week in Cornwall or Majorca or wherever before dumping it at their ass in the hotel room for hotel staff to bin.

Have you also given up meat? That's the best thing you can do for our planet.

No the best thing you can do for the planet is not to have children. And yes I have pretty much given up meat. I’ve massively reduced my intake precisely due to the impact on the environment. Am I now allowed to question wasteful clothing practises?

@Smallsteps88, a lot of people can't afford clothes that aren't made in Bangladesh etc.

But can afford holidays and new wardrobes for the whole family for the holiday?

I always bring the same old reliable favourites

How can you “trust” new clothes? What if they ride up, make you look bad in photos, het badly creased, are just that bit tight under the armpits etc

Trusty old stalwarts all the way here

I once bought a two pack of school shirts for DS1 to wear to a wedding, because it was the cheapest thing they had in Tesco. I knew he'd never wear them again so donated them to a charity shop a couple of days later! One was completely unworn. (We did have a washing machine in our holiday let). We had travelled back to the UK and there are usually no uniforms in the country we live so I thought they'd be more useful there.

It was a bit of a faff though and I can't imagine doing that every holiday. I wouldn't want to leave stuff behind to be thrown away, would happily donate (if it's in OK condition) but the hassle seems to spoil the point of a holiday?

I never throw clothes in the bin unless they are worn out underwear. Or have gone mouldy. That just seems so wasteful!

No the best thing you can do for the planet is not to have children.

Is it though from a logical perspective? Surely it makes more sense to have younger people who can toil, pay taxes & innovate as opposed to a load of older people living as long as possible on an array of medication.

It takes 2,700 litres of water to make 1 cotton t-shirt! I’m definitely very careful of what I buy now, trying to buy quality over quantity.

I tend to take some new swim wear and new flip flops and maybe some other new holiday bits like that, but also use up all my older toiletries and take things like shorts/skirts/leggings/strap tops/t shirts that are on their last legs. Then when I get home I can replace any items that didn't last the holiday, plus it's nice to get home to a nice bath with all new products. I always feel like theres a layer sand and travel dirt on me that doesn't go until I wash at home.

In Spain once I put half the clothes I'd bought with me in a clothes recycling bin and went shopping 🤷🏻‍♀️

Almost the opposite here. I have clothing that only appears for holidays (or the odd really hot day at home). My DM came away to France with us and I was delighted to see a dress which dates to the mid-1980s on her...many fond memories.

I come home, unpack my cabin case, wash holiday clothes, put then back in cabin case for next hol. Otherwise I can never find them again.

But can afford holidays and new wardrobes for the whole family for the holiday?
A tee shirt for a child in eg Next is coming up to a tenner, two euro in Penny's (Primark). So yes!